RAYVILLE, LA – December 7, 2025

Entergy Louisiana broke ground December 1 on two state-of-the-art power generation facilities in Richland Parish designed to supply electricity to Meta’s massive artificial intelligence data center, marking a significant milestone in North Louisiana’s transformation into a digital infrastructure hub.

The Franklin Farms Power Station represents billions in capital investment and is projected to deliver more than $650 million in customer savings over 15 years while supporting thousands of construction jobs and strengthening Louisiana’s electric grid.

Powering Digital Growth

The groundbreaking in Rayville launched construction on two combined-cycle combustion turbine generation facilities recently approved by the Louisiana Public Service Commission. Together, the plants will add approximately 1,500 megawatts of highly efficient natural gas generation capacity to Louisiana’s power grid.

“These facilities represent the next step in Entergy Louisiana’s long-term strategy to modernize our generation fleet and deliver reliable, cost-effective power to our customers,” said Phillip May, Entergy Louisiana president and CEO. “We’re ensuring that Louisiana remains a competitive, attractive place to live, work, and do business.”

The power plants will primarily serve Meta’s $27 billion AI-optimized data center under construction in Richland Parish, one of the largest private investments in the region’s history. The data center project is expected to support more than 5,000 construction jobs and 500 permanent operational jobs once complete.

Customer Benefits

Entergy Louisiana customers will benefit directly from Meta’s operations through lower energy costs and enhanced system resilience. Meta’s contributions are expected to lower customer storm charges by approximately 10 percent and reduce bill impacts of resilience upgrades by a similar amount.

Over the 15-year agreement, Meta’s contributions toward Entergy’s system costs—including storm recovery—are projected to save customers approximately $650 million. Under terms approved by regulators, Meta will fund the full cost of utility infrastructure required to serve its data center, preventing cost-shifting to other customers.

“Entergy Louisiana’s partnership with Meta and our local leaders demonstrates how strategic energy investments can drive economic development,” May said. “Together, we are building the foundation for Louisiana’s energy future.”

Construction and Timeline

Construction on the two Richland Parish facilities began immediately following the groundbreaking, with both projects expected to be completed and operational by late 2028. The facilities utilize next-generation combined-cycle combustion turbine technology that uses less fuel to produce more power, resulting in lower emissions and improved system reliability.

Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell called the project “truly a bright day for northeast Louisiana.”

The Franklin Farms Power Station is not Entergy’s only generation facility for the data center. The company plans to construct a third combined-cycle plant at its Waterford nuclear power plant site in St. Charles Parish, with an expected operational date by the end of 2029. Together, all three gas plants will generate approximately 2,200 megawatts of electricity.

Legislative Oversight

State Senator Cameron Henry announced formation of a task force to examine power availability concerns and verify claims about customer benefits. The task force will investigate whether Entergy Louisiana customers may ultimately pay higher utility rates as data centers consume significant grid resources.

“We’ll have a good review of what the rules and regulations are, make sure that Louisiana is prepared to grow like we want it to grow,” Henry said. The task force must produce findings to the Louisiana Senate by March 1, 2026.

Energy Infrastructure Investment

Beyond natural gas generation, Meta has committed to matching its electricity use with 100 percent clean and renewable energy, working with Entergy to bring at least 1,500 megawatts of new renewable energy to the grid.

Entergy Louisiana provides electricity to more than 1.1 million customers in 58 parishes and is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, which serves 3 million customers across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.

The Franklin Farms Power Station represents a critical foundation for supporting energy-intensive digital operations while protecting existing customers and ensuring grid reliability across Louisiana.